Plumbers Versus Carpenters
by Phantom Rottweiler
Summary: Carpenters are a group of rogue Plumbers. Nicholas; former labrat, now on the run dodging the crossfire between good and evil. With Ben, Gwen and Kevin, he searches for what means the most to him, even though it means risking his life. Rated Very High T
1. Identity

**DISCLAIMER: **There is only one thing I CAN claim, that is the OC(s).

NOTE: This is the first time I'm writing in first person for something longer than a one-shot, let alone through the eyes of an OC. This is not a "Mary Sue / Gary Stu" setup nor is it a self insert. So please read with an open mind, and if I screw up something, don't be afraid to let me know...I promise I won't flashover-flame or bite.

Plumbers Versus Carpenters

I can't believe this is happening. How could I have found myself in this situation? Squeaking metal echoes along brick walls of the night time dark alley between a used book store and a corner market. Over the racket of the metal brace around my left knee, my shoes slapping hard against the pavement and the echoes of my gasping and yelping I clearly hear the approach of the teen boy in blue jeans and a green jacket with brunet hair. It was distant at first. Now it sounds like he's almost on top of me.

_Run. Run as long as possible_ my mind shouts as I turn to look back; sure enough there he is, almost within arms reach.

"What do you want!" I shriek, there was a defined tint of fear and panic in the words I uttered. Turning my view ahead after he says nothing I gasp seeing a girl roughly the boys age coming into the alley ahead of myself. The reddish-brown haired girl looks like she goes to some fancy prep-school and the boy looks like he could go to any regular school. She too starts running towards me.

"Slow it down squirt" the voice forced me to look over to the left; running even with my pace is another teen boy, larger than the first two…probably older. This one wears blue jeans and a black shirt with long raven black hair. He is the kind of thing that I don't want to meet in dark alleys such as this one. Oh god this is a nightmare that I just can't wake up from.

_How long has he been there! What do these people want with me!_

They are almost within breathing distance now. I watch curiously as the girl draws fisted hands surrounded by a neon pink shield; her eyes are the same color. What is that? How is she doing that? What is she? I have to lean back as my shoes skid along the pavement - my body instinctively drops its center of mass for the abrupt halt before I slam full force into a shield that appeared out of nowhere. A shield, which is the same color pink as the girls' hands and eyes.

"Why couldn't you do that in the first place, Gwen?" the boy in the black shirt demanded; I turn my attention back to find another pink shield appearing from thin air separating them from myself. I know I'm trapped; but at the moment, I also know they can't get past and to me. Hesitantly I reached out a lone hand and hovered the tips of my fingers mere inches away from the pink glow; slowly I closed the distance, until the palm of my hand rested on the glowing pink force. It doesn't hurt. It kind of tickles actually. Then I see her reaching out, before I can think to withdraw, she places her hand on the opposite side of the shield - opposite of my own.

"It's okay…" she speaks softly with a trace of a smile "…we don't want to hurt you. We just want to talk. What's your name?"

_What is my name? I…I…don't remember…I don't remember too much of anything about myself, only…_

"Your name. What is it?" I hear the smaller brunet haired boy asking…no, demanding that I tell him something I don't know.

"I-I DON'T KNOW!" Shouting a pathetic despaired response was the only thing I could do.

"What do you mean you don't know what your own name is?" the ruffian looking of the three asked taking his weight to lean against the shield.

"I - DON'T - KNOW - !" Again I shouted while bringing my fisted hands to the side of my face. Before I know it, I feel a hand on my chin; forcing myself to look, I find the girl reaching out - her soft hands dancing under my rough face. Instinct tells me to flinch and turn away; yet reality compels me to remain transfixed. A tugging at the right sleeve of my black denim jacket and the faintest of gasps. Even without looking, I know she noticed it…saw it…

"Guys?" she calls out allowing the remaining shield to dissipate while gently and ever so softly bringing my right arm down for them to see.

"X dash 137" the ruffian reads aloud the same letter and set of numbers permanently imprinted on the underside of my right wrist. How that combo haunts me; oh how it has haunted my every thought - every memory - every experience for the…past…ten…years.

"What does it mean?" the girl asks glaring her male counterparts; the shorter brunet shrugs while the thug seems to be lost in his own world of thoughts. "Do you by chance have a wallet? Some kind of picture ID? A slip of mail? Even just a simple picture?" she turns her attention to me. I have to stop and think; every thought manifests as a rapid series of blinks; without a lone conscious thought of doing so, my hand reaches into my pocket and pulls out a couple of one dollar bills.

_X_

The car ride is silent. Kevin - the thug drives, Gwen - the girl is in the front seat and Ben - the smaller male brunet is sitting on my right. At first I tried avoiding going anywhere with these three, but there's something about them that makes me feel safe…at least somewhat comfortable. If it comes down to it, I can defend myself, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve. I can tell they're somewhat close friends, though; they work as a team and the way Kevin looks at Gwen hints that he's at least a little attracted to her; he does look like he would snap me in half for even thinking of trying to hook up with her. Overhead streetlamps offer passing flashes of pale orange into the car.

"What kind of car is this?" I finally break the silence; with nothing more than a quick glance to the mirror, Kevin replies.

"76 Camaro. She's my pride; you don't mess with the car, and I don't mess with you!"

"Got it." Note to self…do not mess with this guy's car!

"Don't worry about him…" Ben whispers while leaning over "…he's just cranky because he didn't have his nap-time."

"One more word Tennyson; this car stops and you're walking home, that means you too, X137 or whatever goofy alias you're using!"

"Kevin! Be nice. I know this wasn't how you wanted to spend your night, but we might have a lead on…" Gwen abruptly stops remembering there was a fourth person riding with them instead of the usual three.

Another round of silence falls upon us. I don't know what, but there is something strange with these three; like they're some kind of covert spies or intergalactic heroes that don't exist.

"X." I muttered taking a deep sigh.

"What?" Ben and Gwen turned to see what I spoke.

"They called me, X." I brought up my right sleeve to expose the marks seared into my skin.

"They whom?"

"I don't know who. The only thing I vividly remember is some weird symbol…it looks like an upside down Y with four dots lined up like North, South, East and West…" before I could finish the car lunges and comes to a screeching halt. Without a lone word from anyone, Kevin opens the door, gets out, flops the seat forwards and grabs me by my jacket.

"Uh-unh…" he grunts slinging me out of the car and into the middle of the road "…you're a hot ticket item and we've got enough problems as it is. Nothing personal, but you sure as hell aren't staying around us for another second" with this he flips the seat back and gets behind the wheel. I can only watch as the car drives away; red glowing tail-lights against a black and green paint scheme fades away into the night time.

"Perfect!" I groaned starting to walk the direction the car went. Foot by foot; minute by minute; the road continued on forever. The only sound is that of squeaking metal drowning out the crickets, perhaps leading them in the harmony of the nights music. I don't know where I'm going anymore; all I'm doing is walking; wondering; wishing. I stopped and shivered as a blast of artic air whips through my clothing, even for the dead of summer, a cold breeze still gusts.

"Nice night, for a walk…" the voice was slow, gruff, raspy; I whipped around while reaching for my right sleeve; nothing came under the glow of the street lamp as I spun around. Upon the third revolution with left hand at the ready of right sleeve, it became evident who…or what stood across from me. The thing was tall; seven feet even, black and blue splotches covered it's body and butterfly style wings, it's face strangely alien, it's 'hands' and 'feet' resembled talon grippers identical to eagles and other birds of prey.

"Stay back!" I demanded feeling the handle of my trusty long bladed knife tucked between the denim sleeve and my right arm.

"Easy there…" the thing speaks in it's raspy voice while holding it's talon hand out in a 'halt' position. Before my very eyes, the mutant moth being de-scrambles.

"Ben?" My voice shakes as I have to blink rapidly to make sure I'm seeing what I just saw.

"The one and only. Come on…" he glares deviously at me "…you need a place to stay, and we need to get there quickly" with this, he fiddles with his funky watch and slams down; again, before my very eyes, the moth creature unfurls it's wings with arms spread out.

"Big Chill" it proclaims before fluttering a few feet off the ground. "Grab on, and hold tight" it hovers just high enough for me to reach up and grip onto it's ankles…or the equivalent of. In what seems a flash, both of us zip over the road; though I have to keep my eyes closed because I don't do heights or flying very well; even so, it was nice to feel the wind coursing through my hair.

_X_

"Mom, dad, I'm home. And I brought a friend over…" Ben calls out as we enter through the front door to his home. It looks like pretty much any other home in any other suburban neighborhood in any other middle of nowhere town. The layout of the structure was simple enough; enter into the living room, kitchen and dining room to the right, a hallway leading to a bathroom and a couple of rooms on the left. Sitting on the couch is a tan haired man that looks like a future Ben with quite a bit more weight, and a blond haired woman - both turn their attention from a small TV towards us.

"Hey Ben, who's your friend?" the woman asks standing as does the man.

"This is-uh-…" Ben dropped off drawing a blank.

"X…" I have to interject "…short for Xander. And Ben offered to bring me over as part of the Make A Friend program at school." It was a lie; I don't know what my name is, but I do go by X, so Xander was a most likely choice no matter how questionable it was.

_Make A Friend program at school!_ Ben didn't have to say it, I can't read his mind, but the look on his face told me that's exactly what he was tripping over. The two adults glare between us for what felt like an hour, though only a few short seconds had passed before the man reaches out with ready to shake hands.

"Hello, X. I'm Carl, that's Sandra, we're Ben's parents"

"Hey" I offer my hand in return though somewhat hesitantly.

"So, tell me, X. What exactly is the Make A Friend program and how does it work?" Sandra narrows her focus on me almost like she's trying to user her parental know-how to get me to slip up over something. It's not going to be that hard to give them something credible, but it'll be hard enough to watch how I handle this one.

"Well, basically, it's a peer to peer program. And what happens is, if you need someone to hang out or do something with, you just fill out a short questionnaire and you get matched up with a peer that is best suited for the task. So that way, both parties can see what it's like on the other side of the fence…in a manner of speaking. Luckily I was teamed up with Ben."

"Mom, dad, would it be all right if X stayed the night?" this time Ben was the one that tripped me with what he said. There was a short pause of silence that hung thick in the air.

"If it's part of the Friend program, I don't see why not." Sandra finally broke the stillness. "As long as you follow house rules…" she glares to me "…no drinking, smoking, drugs, potty-language. Understand?"

"If by drinking you mean alcohol, then yes, I understand perfectly."

"Good" she smiles.

_X_

"Ben…?" I asked with a yawn and a stretch "…what's the deal with your sister and Kevin?" with this, Ben chuckles before laughing; curious to see what was so funny, I sat up and stared at him rolling onto his side on his bed. It is kind of weird seeing him wearing only his jeans, black undershirt and socks, but right now, it's something normal; and right now, normal is something I need.

"First off, Gwen's not my sister, she's my cousin. Secondly, they have a love hate relationship. They love to hate each other, they're kind of attracted to each other but at the same time, they're kind of repulsed by the other."

"Like a train wreck, don't wanna look but you just can't look away."

"Exactly."

"So, why _did_ you come back even when those two drove away?"

"Because something's obviously wrong, and you need help. It's kind-a what I do."

"And what is that watch all about-it does more than keep time."

"It does everything but keep time" he pouts. "What about you?"

"What about me, what?"

"We find you wondering the streets dazed and confused; when we try to see what's wrong, you take off. You have no memory of who you are, where you come from or even what you were trying to do…except for running."

"I wish I knew…" I trailed off flopping hard against the pillow on the floor of his room.

If only I knew.


	2. Security

**DISCLAIMER: **see chapter 1.

Plumbers versus Carpenters

CHAPTER 2

I fell hard to the cold unforgiving concrete; behind me, the gate slams shut with a metallic _clunk_; two pairs of work-boots thunder away. The same thing happens every day. This day, however, was different. On this day, it wasn't just another round of painful tests; it was torture the runt day.

"Damn!" I uttered trying to upright myself only to nurse my ribs and stomach from the pain, with no other option, I let gravity take over and collapse onto my side. Everything outside of the chain link cage walls fades away as I can focus on nothing but the cold concrete and how comforting it felt to the fiery hot wounds.

There is only one light shining, it glows from overhead and casts an eerie shadow between everything and anything. With half of my face buried to the floor, the scent whips about my nose - it can only be described as a mixture of stale air, dust and a hint of thick dank mildew. There is life within and past the cell; yet it's not happy fulfilled life, the feeling represents everything that is nothing more than ill…fate…despair…death.

"What did they do to you!" a small voice from the next cell over calls out, beckons me to answer. Everything happened fast; too fast to recall any details. Unable to consciously formulate any strand of words, I settled for a long, drawn out agonized howl of pain followed by deep sobs; dust on the floor blows away with every released breath. Why they don't just terminate my existence now I'll never understand.

Time fades away. Reality evades my grasp. This is the only time I can sleep; if it could be called sleep…it's more of a period of blackout time from shock. But still; it's pretty much the only rest I get.

Until…

"Get up this instant!" the booming voice commands as I find myself laying on my back and staring at the ceiling - at…him leaning between me and the light. "Get up NOW!"

"Wake up! X, wake up!" Two realities merge into one; the voice is that of Ben, but the sight is of _him_. This time, I'm ready. In one swift motion I leapt up and lunged forcing him to the wall - my right arm across his neck and my left hand yanking the long bladed knife from the right side sleeve. The knife blade glistens in the light as I hold it mere centimeters from his eye.

"I don't take orders from YOU anymore!" I growled preparing to plunge the weapon.

"X! Snap out of it! It's me, Ben, remember? I brought you back to my place for the night, remember?"

A lone gasp. A single blink. One reality separated into two. This time, I see and hear Ben pinned to the wall, the only difference is that my denim jacket is in a small crumpled heap next to the pillow on the floor - an empty hand holding an invisible knife proves it. I released the pressure and slowly backed away unsure of what he was going to say or do next, but whatever it is, I'm sure it won't be pretty.

"Ben, I-I'm sorry, I…I didn't mean to…"

"No, I shouldn't have tried to wake you up like that…" Ben trails off looking down and away as do I. "Must have been some nightmare"

"You don't know the half of it"

_X_

"What do you think you're doing, Tennyson!" Kevin snaps as Ben and I approach his garage where he is working on his car and Gwen stands off to the side though moving between us. "I already told you; stay away" he growls sliding out on a creeper from under his car.

"Why?" I ask staring him down as he stands and wipes his hands with a red rag.

"Because you've got too much heat breathing down your back and we don't want to be part of it."

"What heat? What are you keeping secret? What are you hiding from all of us?" I stepped closed to him until I'm looking up to him almost against his chest as he looks down, the vacant space between us was too narrow for my liking but I have to suffer through it to show him…to prove to him that I'm not going to back down this time.

"You feeling froggy…?" he asks "…then leap."

"Ribbit!" My mouth moves though I don't recall making it do so. I'm ready for it; prepared for everything that ass could possibly throw. In one swift move I lunge going for my sleeve as he reaches for something behind him; time stands still. The knife blade bends ever so discretely; the tip of the blade moves not a micron as it rests on green metal; I have to look twice before it registers that it's not the car I'm attacking, it's Kevin, but he sports the same type and color of metal that his car is made of.

"People really shouldn't play with knives…" he chuckles as we both glare to the weapon pointed directly on his neck right at his voice box. That's when I noticed it, the warm and wet sensation dancing around my fingers seeping into every nook and crevice. I have to let the knife go. It clatters against the concrete floor as I draw my left hand up to inspect the sensation; to my surprise yet annoyance, a tint of red covers most of my hand from a long slit on my palm.

"You're ballsy…" Kevin trailed off as he watched me licking along the wound "…stupid, but ballsy. Maybe next time you'll stop and think before attacking." with this he bends over and retrieves the knife sliding it into his pocket.

"And you're an egotistical jackass. Now that the mutual bullshit is over, let's get down to business! Start talking…no, scratch that. Start singing like a canary about what you know!"

A wave of silence filled the air; Kevin sighed and rolled his eyes as Ben and Gwen approached me - Gwen carried a first-aid kit with Ben standing between Kevin and myself, his hand poised over the weird watch looking thing around his wrist. As soon as she glared to the slit on my hand, Gwen shifts her focus until she's staring me square in the eyes before turning to Ben and Kevin.

"Guys, the slits too deep, we've got to take him to the hospital."

"How deep?" Ben quizzes approaching on my left flank.

"To _our_ hospital, the one for special cases." Kevin crosses his arms and stands defiantly.

_X_

My glare falls upon the rear window of the car and the passing scenery; this time Gwen sits at my side with Ben in the front passenger seat and Kevin driving the car.

The bright world outside the world fades away, only to be replaced with darkness and moving shadows. Groaning metal echoes as the vehicle comes to a slow moaning halt, inside the cargo hold grows silent as I and twelve other persons look around watching…waiting for the worst. The holding door opens upwards into the wall allowing a flood of light to blind us, in the lights glow, a shadow approaches from the outside.

It was soft at first. The feeling of a small hand overcoming my own was enough to break my trance from the light and moving shadow, looking down, I found at my side, a smaller blond haired boy with walnut colored eyes pressing himself as close as possible to the side of my body.

"X?" the boy asks; in the blink if an eye everything returns to normal as I remind myself that I'm still in Kevin's car.

"Where are we?" I ask as the car pulls into a small parking lot for a concrete building with only one door leading inside. Everyone remains silent as the climb out of the car and head towards the door; unsure of what to expect, I hesitantly fall within the pack as we move inside until our path follows a row of florescent lights in the ceiling panels. The walls are a pale white; the floor is lined with cracking and missing tiles.

Upon coming to a dead end, Kevin retrieves a large disk like device and holds it to the wall. With a faint hiss and an even more faint click the wall separates into two equal halves allowing a full view into a hidden parlor of bustling excitement; several people walking around wear their street clothes, some wear what appear to be top of the line designer business suits, and some…some are dressed in one piece uniforms with black boots, black gloves and assorted weaponry stashed in various belt loops and compartments. I have to frantically keep up as the trio lengthens the distance; as they come to a center circular desk, Kevin flashes the same odd device that forced the wall to separate.

"I've got a medical and a security protection request for…" the brute's words trailed off as my focus falls upon a tall man dressed in a cammo style uniform with a thick wall-eyed glare.

"No…I can barely speak as the man approaches; my heart picked up speed as a cold sweat lined my brow "Not this time!" I shouted yanking a pen from the desk preparing for the battle. Time slowed; everyone took notice as I lunged only to find myself being stopped by Ben, Gwen, Kevin and several of what must have been 'special agents' because the next thing I know, I'm face down on the ground with a mass of weight on top.

"He…he's going to…he's gonna…" my voice pierces the cacophony of people shouting orders. That's when I feel it; the prick of a needle pinching my backside. It is a feeling I know very well, and the following grogginess and dead-weight limbs is an all too familiar memory.

_X_

"Eli…" I whispered turning away from the blinding lights "…Eli, where are you?" I tried getting up off my back but nothing happened…someone, or something was keeping me in place, keeping me down, not allowing me to move too much.

"He's coming around…" a voice echoes; a poke of a needle; my muscles tense then relax as reality slips from my grip.

_X_

"They're called Carpenters…" the world starts coming more and more clear from my drug induced slumber, right now my eyes open slightly to a dim room – a dividing curtain separates me from the voices on the other side. "And they're pretty much the opposite of Plumbers…they are some bad-assed hard-core professionals that you really don't want to deal with" I know the voice; it is none other than that of Kevin.

"And what is it that these _Carpenters_ do, exactly?" This one I know is Ben.

"Everything not legal or moral."

"And how does X fit into everything?" Gwen's voice rings out clearly as I gain enough control to wet my lips.

"Judging from the scars…" Kevin begins "…must have been a lab-rat that got out of his cage."

"Scars?" Ben sounded rather curious about the statement.

"You didn't notice them earlier? A whole bunch of 'em, along his hands, at the base of his neck, there's quite a few not to notice. And the reason he doesn't remember a thing is because he's repressed the trauma of everything that happened."

"Ben? Gwen?" I called out almost silently at first, but after a few short moments everything comes back to normal. "Ben? Gwen?"

The curtain slowly slips back to reveal the trio. Kevin takes a seat across from the bed; Ben stands on my right side and Gwen gently sits on the mattress on my left side. She reaches out and gently grips my bandaged hand, which was the first time I noticed that my wrists and ankles were wrapped snugly in thick bands, equally thick belts of leather securing said bands to the framework of the bed.

"What the hell?" there was no hiding the fear and anxiety in my voice as I wrenched my body putting leverage against the restraints in a desperate attempt to break free.

"Calm down X, you started freaking out and they did this as a safety precaution."

"Let him out." Kevin proclaimed standing up causing the cousins to give him a questioning glance "He needs to go back so he can jog his memory."

"Look…" Ben scoffed "…he's under twenty-four hour lockdown, he ain't going anywhere. Then, if and when we do manage to get him signed out, how do we know where to go and what to expect? What if he has another _episode_?"

"How many has he had?" At this, Ben bit his lip and looked away; Kevin must have sensed that something wasn't right as he narrowed his stare upon the brunet. "How many, Benji? Come on Benny-boy, how many _episodes_ has he had?"

"Two…" Ben answered in a mouse volume.

"How many?"

"TWO! One earlier and one this morning when he was in that state of dream, consciousness and two separate realities."

"You never wake up anyone that's stressing in their sleep, especially if that person is shell-shocked!"

"Nice time to tell me that!"

"I swear if he hurt you…" Kevin trailed off checking Ben over before giving me a sneer "…it'll be the last thing you ever do!"

"He didn't hurt me; he just needed a few seconds to realize he had woken up. That's all, I promise."

_X_

I snapped awake in the very instant I felt the presences in the room; in the very same room where I was strapped the bed without the teen heroes around. Shadows moved in the dim room; in the far corner, a red dot on a security camera glowed.

"Who's there?" I called out sitting up as best as possible but only limited to raising my head off the pillow and my shoulders off the mattress. The shadows still moved before a lightly toned voice responded.

"We've come to get you, and take you home…" My breaths, pulse and mind went into overdrive as a large pale hand emerged from the darkness past the glow of the light.

"NO! STAY AWAY! You ain't getting me!" I yelled struggling to break free. "HELP!" I shouted even louder doing everything possible for make enough of a commotion for at least one person to take notice.

The pale hand; the fabric of a black uniform; a hint of a face. God, why isn't anyone coming in to see what's wrong!

The burst of light was sudden, extreme. I could only shut my eyes and turn away.

"You two check the room!" a deep, gruff but gentle voice commands. At last, help has arrived. Hesitantly opening my eyes, I found two agents scouring the room and a third – an older man with gray hair, a red and yellow shirt with blue jeans and tan boots approaching from the door that was nearly buried into the wall.

"All clear!" both agents called out taking their spots next to the old man. To my surprise, the man with gray hair reaches out and starts undoing the restraints.

"Sir, what are you doing? He's slated for mandatory twenty-four hour lockdown"

"Can't you see the kid's shaken!" the gray haired man snaps back at the younger agents while undoing the last of the cuffs; in a smooth motion, he sits on the bed and pulls me onto his lap. I can't fight any more; I just gave in at that point. A flow of tears escaped my eyes as I felt the safety of his hold.

"It's okay…" his tone softens and lowers into a whisper "…nobody's going to get you, not while I'm around."

I let a very faint whimper as I closed my eyes; there is something about this old man that is comforting, so much so that I'm already starting to doze off to sleep once again.


	3. Revelations

**DISCLAIMER: **see chapter 1.

WARNING: In this chapter the foul language picks up, including but not limited to the infamous F-bomb…used only once for dramatic effect.

Plumbers versus Carpenters

CHAPTER 3

"Eli!" I shouted chasing the two operatives that drug away the kicking and screaming blond haired walnut color eyed boy "Eli!" The further they go, the slower I find myself moving.

"Nicholas…" the boy shouts desperately reaching out.

"Eli…" I shouted lunging an outstretched arm for him. That very moment a thundering force slams directly against my neck between my shoulder blades; my body falls to the ground, I can only watch helplessly as the two operatives drag Eli around the corner into another section of the building.

My eyes opened slowly, I have to blink a couple of times to clear the misty haze clouding my field of vision. Kevin leans over and grins slightly as Ben and Gwen enter into the room. "What do you want?" I asked slightly annoyed forcing Kevin to withdraw his stance.

"Who's this Eli?" he seems a tad too smug about something.

"Eli…Eli…Eli…nope, I've got nothing" I look him square in the eyes as a faint grin creeps across his face.

"This Eli person must have something special, you were calling out to…" he trails off "…uh-oh, does X have a special bond with Eli?" he starts cackling in a mocking tone; even though I don't see it, I can feel my cheeks flashing with warmth. He must have noticed it because his heckling continues. "Is Eli your…_partner_? Is he your…boyfriend?"

"Can it Kevin" I grunted sitting up tightening my fists.

"X and Eli sitting in a tree, F-U-C…"

I was at my breaking point; I don't care how much the result hurts, I don't care how much time the wounds need to heal, he had pushed the line too far this time and I wasn't ready to let it go. In one swift motion I flung a solid right hook catching him square on the left side of his face just below his eye. "JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!" I screamed as loud as I could as Kevin stumbled backwards completely taken by surprise. For a brief moment, his cold glare warmed and softened.

"Get up; use the bathroom or whatever you need to do, find something to eat and make it quick because we're taking a road trip!" Kevin growled stomping out of the room.

"Where?"

"Los Soledad; it's an abandoned military base on the outskirts of town" Gwen reaches down and gently checks the bandage wrapping around my left hand. "And don't feel too bad about nailing him like that; he was asking for it. Frankly, nobody's really stood up to him like that in years when Ben did it for the first time, even Cash – the town bully knows not to mess around with him. Hell…I wouldn't be surprised if he started being a little nicer to you from now on."

_X_

The afternoon air was warm, stale, still, silent. The only movement came from us as we walked to a massive cinderblock building with no windows and only one heavily fortified door.

"Here we are kiddies, the answers to life's most pressing questions awaits us just behind this door." Kevin laughs slinging the door open far enough for all of us to enter. Warm air of the world outside gives way to stuffy hot air on the inside of the building. Darkness of the corridors is broken only by the glow of four separate flashlights. The smell is everything I remember; the feeling remains the same as it did when I was held captive here. Opening the first metal door we come across, Ben waves us inside; rows of chain-link cages line both sides of the room under the glow of a single light over each cell. I have to close my eyes and hold a deeply drawn breath before continuing any further, pacing to the far side of the space, my light falls upon a clipboard and a few pages attacked to the cage door.

"Look familiar?" Ben asks glaring over the papers before pointing to my wrist, I don't want to look, but I have to. On the very top sheet, in big bold writing, is X-137; under which, several shorter notes scribbled in haste. I don't want to do so, but my body opens the gate and brings me inside; on the floor is a layer of deep red almost black coloring, kneeling down and holding my hand over the stain everything comes back in a flash. The voices; the sounds; the pain and suffering; even…the voice from the next cell over.

"Eli…" a streak of tears escaped my eyes.

"You okay? X?" Ben asks putting his hand on my shoulder.

"My name…" I grunted "…is Nicholas Vaughn. And Eli – is my brother. He was in the next cage over." I stood up and turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Gwen stood between me and the door in a feeble yet effective attempt to stop me.

"To find Eli!" My glare turned cold causing her to step back a few feet.

"He could be anywhere." Ben argued as respectfully as possible.

"For all you know he is already dead." Kevin muttered bringing his hands up in a defensive motion.

"Do you have his body?" I demanded "Do you have proof of his death? Do you know that for sure?"

"Well, no, but…"

"Butts are for sitting, kicking and kissing. Until there is definitive proof I'm not going to stop looking!" With this I stormed off not caring who did or did not follow; I don't care either way, because I was going to find him one way or another. With or without anyone's help.

Emerging from the building I brought myself to a complete halt; standing around Kevin's car were two tall and muscular men roaming. The moment my shoe stepped onto the grass their attention turned to me then to the trio coming out behind me.

"Ah, Nicholas, there you are…" the first tall man started off.

"We were so worried that something might have happened to you. Come along, it's time to go home." the second picked up where the first stopped.

"Rob, Bob." Kevin waves to them "How y'all been? Long time no see."

"Levin. Good work, now hand him over and you get your reward." Rob – the one on the left – grinned narrowing his glare on me. Before anyone does anything, Kevin stands in front of me with his arms crossed.

"Why?" He asks "I still haven't been paid for my last series of services."

"Okay, fine, hand him over and you'll get your twenty thousand…" Bob – the one on the right – grunts rolling his eyes. Hearing this Kevin laughed.

"_Twenty_ thousand? Uh, lets see; late fees, compounded interest over three years…you're looking more at SEVENTY thousand, plus the fees for this one!"

"You know the boss is going to have a heyday with this." Rob brought his hand to the side of his head in obvious pain.

"The boss should have paid his bill when he had the chance." Kevin scoffed giving a quick glance to me.

"All right, fine; we'll contact the boss and get you the money." Bob scowled turning to walk away to their deep blue van with Rob following.

Ben, Gwen, Kevin and I remained silent as we stared at each other; it was tense, thick tension hung between us; we all wanted to say something but none of us dared to. It was Gwen whom broke the awkwardness.

"Kevin…" She began slowly not making eye contact with him "…please tell me that you didn't tip off the Carpenters that we're hiding their little science project."

"Hey!" I shouted curling my hands into fists.

"Okay, I didn't." Kevin chuckled.

"Then what was all that about?" Ben stared blankly at the brute.

"You told me not to tell you, so I didn't…" Gwen drew the pink aura around her hands and eyes the instant he uttered it. The more they argued, the hotter I became; the more I heard, the less I wanted to listen to. Everything faded away; the only constant was the unending banter between the three.

"Shut up..." I whispered knowing they wouldn't hear it.

"Shut up…" My voice grew a little louder.

"Shut up…!" Still they didn't listen.

"EVERYONE JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!" Everything came to an abrupt standstill; the trio turned shocked glares to me as I huff deep breaths. Without warning I jumped with my left arm arching wide, the only reaction Kevin had was that of his face whipping to the side and his body lunging in the same direction. "Son of a bitch, you sold me out to the same people I'm trying to get away from!"

Climbing to his knees, Kevin tensed his jaw and spat a few traces of red saliva; his eyes locked onto mine as he stood slightly – every muscle tensed while he ran his tongue between his upper teeth and the inside of his cheek. The action was quick; before I knew what hit me I found myself pinned to the ground with him on top. "You little shit! I let the first time slide but this one is your first class ticket to death!"

"Go ahead, do it then." I glared directly into his cold eyes. "I've got nothing to live for…because for all we know Eli's already dead, right! So just have at it. But just don't expect to be paid!" I forced enough leverage to force him over until I was pinning him to the ground.

"You're only alive because I want my money!" he growled continuing the rolling action.

"Pricks like you…" the top-bottom power struggle kept on.

"You ungrateful little fuck! I'm saving your life by holding out for my money…" he stops in mid thought as he puts full weight over me once again. "…you want the truth? Fine! Our plan was to hand you over to the Carpenters so we can find their little home base and shut them down for good; that's what the Plumbers have been working on for the past fifteen years, and with you, we're that much closer to accomplishing the mission."

"And nobody was going to tell me about this!" I demanded ready to ram my knee directly against his manhood.

"We kept you in the dark about everything so your reactions would be legitimate reactions; they'd spot a charade a mile away. If you really want to find your brother, you'll need to go through with this." Kevin forced my wrists into the grass before standing up.

"And how does holding out for money help?"

"It buys us time." he scowled rubbing the side of his face "Time to plan, time to prepare…time to map out every single detail so nothing goes wrong. With my demand for that insane amount of financing, we've now got about a week to play around with."

"You knew…two nights ago when we first met, when you left me in the middle of the road."

"The upside down Y with the four direction dots. That's the Carpenter symbol. I should know, I used to work for them."

"You _WHAT_!" both Ben and Gwen shouted simultaneously.

"And everything was all just an act?" I asked nearly scratching my head.

"Again, yes! Now if you don't mind, let's get back to my place so we can plan and prepare." Kevin lumbered towards the driver's door of his car with Ben and Gwen in pursuit.

_X_

Day graduated to evening; evening faded to the darkness of night. I listened to the songs of chirping crickets as I stood outside Kevin's open garage. No matter how hard I tried, I can't get over just how strange this day was. All of the excitement earlier; meeting some of their strange acquaintances and finding out there is indeed alien life in the universe.

SHIP. SHIP. The tiny high pitched voice catches my attention; looking down, I found the small puppy looking alien blob that can merge with and replicate any form of technology, even something as unpresuming as my walking knee brace.

SHIP. SHIP. The thing bounces up and down wildly.

"I think he likes you." Julie's voice rang out over the crickets as she slowly approached. Taking a place beside me she looks over and smiles while Gwen, Ben, Kevin, Cooper – a teen boy with a rather unusual ability of reading and controlling machines and technological devices. And the same old man from the night before whom I recently came to find out is named Max and is Ben and Gwen's grandfather – a semi-retired Plumber that just can't stay away from what he loves.

"So that's basically the plan?" I asked to nobody in general, everyone nodded though I really wasn't expecting any form of response. "Let them take me back to that living hell; my location is marked with a tracking device that's sown into my jacket, Ship hides incognito on my brace; and after a short while the Calvary rides in, shuts down their operation and saves the day?"

"That's basically the plan." Max speaks sitting on a lawn chair.

"What about contingency plans? What if something goes wrong?"

"Ship will be there, we'll have your location on the tracker, and Big Chill will be making some visits, so you'll never truly be alone." Ben glances down to his watch before sending a smile to me.

"And how long does it look like it'll take?"

"Probably a couple of days or so."

I released a long sigh taking my glare to the starry night sky. "A couple of days…" I repeated with second thoughts dancing through my mind. A few moments of silence came around us; none of us wanted to admit it, but we all felt the gravity of the situation; they way Gwen looks at me tells me that she has some idea of how I'm feeling at this very moment. "But if there is any hope of finding Eli…" I trailed off shifting the fit of my jacket so it doesn't feel so tight around my shoulders "…any hope at all then I'll do it."

_X_

Ben's room was dark; still. I listened to his gentle snoring as I laced my fingers behind my head on the pillow on the floor. The more I tried to keep from thinking about it, the more my mind returned to tomorrow and the inevitable handover. I can't believe that the week has already passed; I just hope that everything goes to plan like everyone claims it will, I still don't know though, I'm still debating going through with it. But there is one thought that keeps me from backing out; it's the thought of finding Eli and getting the hell out of the nightmare that never ends.

1:09 AM the alarm clock reads in its faint green glow. In a few hours the plan goes into action. In a few hours, I have to go back. In a few hours…


	4. Agenda

**DISCLAIMER: **see chapter 1.

Plumbers versus Carpenters

CHAPTER 4

The car ride was slow and arduous. Turn after turn, mile after mile. My blank stare remains transfixed past the windshield; cold steel around my wrists glistens in the sunlight, giving the metal cuffs a quick tug I sighed. "Are these really necessary?" I asked raising my hands slightly.

"Appearance." Kevin keeps his focus on the road before turning off onto a dirt path leading into the woods; the smooth ride turned bumpy and jarring with every uneven patch the car hit. I look around as he slows to a gentle stop, slides the gear selector into park and turns to look at me.

"Wait, why are we stopping here?"

"I'm waiting for Ben to call and say Rob and Bob are there; I don't want to go walking into a trap" after he finished his words another round of silence fills the car.

Time passes slowly; now, more than ever, I want to leap from the car and take off to get away from everyone and everything. And once again seeing Eli's face reminds me of why I'm doing this.

"I hope you find him…your brother" his unusually soft voice breaks the stillness "I hope he's alive, I really do."

"So do I" my voice whispers through my lips.

"Look, there were those times when we were at each others throats, but you're okay. A little weird, but okay. And you've got some pretty powerful swings. Now, give me your hands" he speaks while reaching into the glove compartment, I hesitantly give him my hands. "I figure you might need this…" he slides the knife…my knife back into its hiding place in the stitching of the sleeve of my denim jacket. I gave him a questioning look as he smiles, actually smiles. "I just want you to be prepared" he chuckles double checking the cuffs.

Before we can say anything else, his cell phone rings. Holding it to his ear, he gives a 'talk to me' kind of answer. "Right, I'm coming in" he replies before ending the call. "Its go time" Kevin slides the gear shift into drive and takes off further into the woods.

I watch curiously as Kevin gets out of the car and walks to Rob and Bob standing between the car and their windowless van with Ben approaching the car; leaning to the open window, Ben smiles. "It's looking pretty good so far. They've got the money and now Kevin's giving it a once over to make sure it's legit" his words mimic the action of everything Kevin's doing. Kevin closes the briefcase and turns to us; with nothing more than a snap and a wave of his hand he tells us that everything's the way it should be. Ben opens the door as I undo the seatbelt; nervously we walk to the gathering. Kevin reaches out, takes the cuffs in his grip and slides a key into the slots; to my relief, the glittering metal stays in his grip as my hands fall freely.

"Get moving!" he shoves me towards Rob and Bob with enough force to topple me to the ground. Making it to my feet, I see at eye level the syringe filled with toxic orange colored liquid. _Oh hell no_.

"See ya'!" I shouted taking off; if I had paid attention, I would have noticed Kevin holding out his arm at the height of my chest effectively clothes-lining me causing me to fall flat against my back – my body 'thumping' hard against the ground. In one smooth motion Kevin flipped me over as Rob lunged with the syringe. Yet another _poke_ to my rump before my arms and legs go numb before the grogginess overtakes me. The last conscious thought I remember was that of Kevin winking in the limited few seconds of being awake.

_X_

The overhead light slowly spun in circles; maybe the room spun; maybe the world spun, perhaps, maybe it was just my head spinning. Either way I felt like my breakfast was going to pay me a most unwelcome visit in the most distasteful way. Out of instinct, I brought my left knee up and immediately noticed there was something very off with it; bringing my hand over the skin, I found that my brace wasn't there. Raising my head slightly and looking around, I saw it sitting on a small table outside of my new cell home. My heart rate shot off fast; this wasn't part of the plan.

Ship. Ship. The overhead light flickered on and off with the tiny voice.

"Ship? Is that you up there on the light?" I whispered watching the fixture spin a little faster.

Ship. Ship. The light flickered again. I let a sigh of relief thinking this could still work.

"Who are you talking to?" the voice from the next cell over draws my attention; even without looking I know that voice belongs to none other than the blond haired – walnut colored eyed younger brother of mine – Eli. As quickly as possible I scuttled over the concrete floor until only the chain-link cage wall separated us – my larger fingers slipping through the spaces wrapping over his smaller fingers with our faces mere inches apart.

"Oh man Eli; I thought I'd never see you again…" I was on the verge of crying while studying all the new marks and scars upon him.

"Why…why'd you come back!" he asks "You got out, you were free!"

"Because you were still here."

"Now we'll never get out" he sobs putting his face against the metal meshwork.

"Sshhh" I whispered wiping the tears from his cheeks "We are going to get out and never have to worry about this place again. While I was out I came across a few people that are very interested in everything that happens here, truth is…" I took a quick look around, to my surprise, we were the only person's in the entire room "…coming back is part of the plan to get this place shut down for good."

"Plan? What plan?"

"It's too complicated to go into right now, but in a nutshell we've basically got a small army of a special operations group called the Plumbers, and they've been going after these people for fifteen years. All we have to do is hold out for another day or two, three at the most and BOOM…home free. Here's the important part, if you hear me say 'get down' you best hit the floor and stay there."

_X_

Time held no meaning; minutes turned to hours and hours turned to seconds; day was as equal as night and vice-versa. I've lost track of how long it's been since they brought me back to this hell; the only rough estimate I have to go by is when I keep my tired eyes open to watch over Eli curled up in the corner sound asleep. Sure that nobody was around, I withdrew my knife and etched a small slash mark into the floor.

_Day two; done._ I sighed leaning against the concrete wall that made the last side of the cage. I could try to pick the lock on the gate with the knife; I could try to cut through the metal with the knife, I could try, but it would never work; I could try but there are more important uses for the weapon.

"Ship? You still up there?" I whispered looking up to a flickering light. My eyes slowly closed; everything around faded away. _Just another day or so, and we are free…for good…forever_.

_X_

My body jumped. My eyes shot open. Looking around I first saw Eli's cell empty with the gate hanging wide open. "Ship?" I whispered rather loudly looking up to the light, nothing happened. "Ship!" I raised my voice, again, nothing happened. "This is not good!" I muttered managing to stand upright though I have to keep my left knee locked straight so it won't flex and buckle under my weight. The solid metal door burst open; instinctively I prepared myself, which was until I realized Kevin had just plowed through the door as though it were merely soggy newspaper; without saying a word, he thunders over focusing a glare upon the locked gate before turning the gaze and a creeping grin to me.

"I know you're having a wild time seeing me like this, but…you mind?" I asked pointing to the locked latch. Kevin seemed to lavish a few more seconds of seeing me locked in the cage like a dog in a kennel. In a swift solid motion he slings a futuristic rifle from his grip and nails the butt of the weapon against the metal effectively snapping the lock open. I forced the gate and gimped to the table before grabbing my brace and wrapping the familiar metal around my left knee. At least now I'm fully mobile again.

"Here's how it's going to go; everyone else stays busy with fighting the Carpenters; we find your brother and I get you two the hell out of here. If anyone comes up I'm under orders to shoot to kill; if you have a problem with that, say so now."

"Actually…" Before I could finish Kevin continued.

"Then close your eyes. When I move, you move; when I stop, you stop; when I flank, you…"

"I flank. Got it."

"Good."

Rounding the corner into the main hall the sounds of rapid gunfire rang out – though it wasn't the _POP_ of normal gunfire, it sounded closer to _ZING_ and _SZOOP_. Before my very eyes, dozens of Plumbers along with the Tennyson family and Cooper fought a raging war against as many Carpenters – both sides firing the same type of weapon Kevin holds in his tight grip, bright blue flashes of light fly between oppositions; a few occasionally ricochet into nearby walls, floor and ceiling. Gwen is somehow managing to use her powers to hurl bright pink balls from behind an identical color shield. Ben fiddles with his watch while taking cover behind the pink shield.

"Any time, Ben, whenever you're ready, just jump right on in!" Gwen grunts and flinches from a blast to her barrier.

"Come on…" Ben tweaks with his watch yet nothing happens.

"Christ kid, look out!" Kevin snaps pulling me backwards into a bright large room a mere nanosecond before a plasma misfire chars the wall where I previously stood. From his spot, Kevin raises the weapon and takes aim; his finger gently depresses the trigger allowing several rapid fire shots in one burst. With him standing in the open doorway, I backed off. "Shit!" He shouts ducking and turning away from air-born brick fragments in a puff of dust "…you want a piece of me, well then come get some!" he yelled even louder re-focusing his aim sending dozens more rapid fire shots in multiple directions. "I see you over there; don't bother hiding!" He shouts once again re-shifting the aim and line of fire.

"Goop!" I hear the strange oddly high pitched and squeaky tone call out from the hallway.

"About time, Tennyson, now do something useful!" Kevin shouts out glancing left to right and back.

SHIP! SHIP! SHIP! The tiny mechomorph bounced up and down bumping into my leg several times; I watched as the alien life-form scooted towards Kevin in the doorway then across the hall to a room across the way. The moment it crossed the doorway, it stopped and turned back. SHIP! SHIP! Curiosity got the better of me as I followed only to be stopped by Kevin.

"I know you're not brain-dead enough to walk into the cross fire." he barked in a pause between bursts of shots.

"Something's up, I think Ship wants me to follow."

"Damn it!" he grunts dodging another puff of brick dust. "Max! Lay down a three tone high-level cover-fire, avoid going low!" Kevin shouts shifting his glare to the right then to the left repeatedly. A change in weapons fire; a nod from Kevin to the allies on the left side in the corridor, he turns and gives me a creepy grinning smile, I've been around him enough times to know he's cooking up something. The action was quick and instantaneous; before I knew what happened, Kevin gripped my jacket and the back of my jeans, in one smooth motion, he brings my legs out from under me then with a powerful thrust zips me out the door and across the hall – the entire distance traveled on the floor.

"Good grief." I stood and shook my head while dusting myself off; instantly I found myself on my back – once again Kevin knocked my legs out from under me though this time he did so simply by lumber-rolling into the room. Standing up, he gripped the weapon and laid down a series of suppression shots allowing Ben and Gwen to enter into the same room.

SHIP! SHIP! SHIP! SHIP! SHIP! SHIP! The black and green alien furiously bounces up and down turning to a lone door at the far end of the room; it flattens itself onto the concrete floor and forms a directional arrow pointing to the door. Hesitantly I approached and opened the door to find a long dark flight of stairs leading down. There was one particular moment when I knew I shouldn't start the descent; everything about this screamed BAD IDEA. Luckily Gwen took the lead using her powers of the pink force, which she often referred to as manna, to illuminate the darkness; directly behind her, Ben slapped his watch and turned into a small white being. "Echo" it calls out separating itself into equal copies. "Four heads…" one copy starts "…are better…" another copy picks up "…than one." the third finished following Gwen into the darkness. I followed them, bringing up the rear; the stairs went down deeper and deeper, the motion carried by the heat in the air fading away until cool damp dankness was all that was left. The smell was unbearable and indescribable at the same time, there is only one word that can remotely describe it…_STANK_.

Deeper. Deeper.

The steps finally ended at the very most bottom of the complex. Another lone door, this one left open. We entered slowly unsure of who or what lay ahead. Upon our entrance, the overhead lights came on dim then reached full brightness within seconds. Stacks of red barrels that resemble oil drums stood silently against the far wall, piles of red tinted rags lined the area to the right of the drums. Passing through a set of swinging double doors, we stopped and glared around. On both side walls of the narrow corridor were latched storage lockers filled with the type of weaponry the Carpenters above used to fight with.

SHIP! SHIP! Ship scooted along the floor under another set of double doors; following its lead, we came into the brightest room of all. The moment we entered, my heart stopped. On the left wall was an X-ray reader; on the right wall were several dozen sheets of paper about various tasks. To our immediate left was a small side cart type table that was lined with dozens upon dozens of different tools ranging from a tiny pick to circular saw sized implements. A light 'ding' echoed clearly; our attention turned to the far wall and the entranceway to an elevator shaft; preparing ourselves, the doors opened to reveal Cooper holding his hands at chest height. "Whoa guys, take it easy…it's me…" he mutters as Gwen allows her powers to dissipate and Ben turns back into his normal human form. Our attention returned to the room. In the very center of the space sat a metal table under four impossibly large spotlights; a trail of crimson red blood seeped from the table and onto the floor where it collected in one massive pool. The sight of the body strapped onto the table was sickening.

"NO!" I shouted seeing glimpses of blond hair.


	5. Truths

**DISCLAIMER: **see chapter 1.

Note: I hope this chapter doesn't turn anyone away from the rest of the story, 'cause it's going to get colorful...RED...and borderline gore involved. But it also explains quite a bit, which is why it's longer than all the others.

WARNING: Another F-bomb alert.

Plumbers versus Carpenters

CHAPTER 5

"I think I'm going to be sick." Cooper turned pale – even paler than normal, and then an odd shade of pastel green as his face twisted.

Gwen brought her hand to cover her mouth as her eyes grew large.

Ben closed his eyes and turned away from the sight.

I stood silent; my jaw quivered. This wasn't supposed to happen. THIS wasn't part of the plan!

Without so much as a warning, Cooper darted off to the weapons hall, after a few short seconds the classic sound of him vomiting echoed in the silent stillness. I inched forwards to the table, my hand reaching out but retaining distance. In center view, for all to see, was Eli; held to the table staring blankly at the blinding overhead lights. His bare chest held open by metal devices, his left side ribcage gone and replaced with metal replicas, the right half sat on the side of the table along with several blood stained tools glistening in the light.

"Eli?" I asked. There was no hiding the emotions in my voice. "Come on man, do something…" tears flooded my eyes as I gently nudged his arm. Nothing. "Ben; Gwen, grab some rags, I've got to stop the bleeding!" I yelled. The cousins simply remained in place. "Get some damn towels already!" I shouted even louder reaching for one sitting off to the side. "Come on Eli, hang in there…" I worked as much as possible.

"Nicholas…" Gwen spoke putting her hands on my shoulders trying to pull me away. "It's too late…"

"No it's not, we can still save him!" I shouted back breaking free of her grip as the muscles in my face tensed and tightened. I didn't want to believe her. I didn't want to think that she could have been right.

"No Nicholas. We are too late; there's nothing we can do." Ben stared deeply into my eyes; I finally took a breath and looked down to Eli's face. My hand silently moves to the side of his neck. Not as much as a quiver. It _was_ over; there is nothing I can do. Without conscious thought of it, my hand reaches over and gently swipes down his face effectively closing his walnut colored eyes – his pupils retaining the size of tiny pin drops.

Taking a few more deep huffing breaths, I ran my left hand through the trail of crimson only to run two fingers from the center of my forehead to the tip of my nose then two more streaks under my eyes. I turned and started a quick pace to the weapons hall; Cooper glared up from his hunched over position against the metal mesh lockers. He ducked and scooted away as I brought a fisted hand high and hard to the metal forcing a good sized dent, that dent was all I needed to pry open the rest of the oblong cage and retrieve everything I was looking for.

"What are you doing!" Gwen stammered.

"Making you ask dumb questions, and apparently, it's working!" I forced a low glare look to her while reaching for a plasma rifle. "That's how it goes, right? An eye for an eye? A tooth for a tooth? A life for a life?" I demanded as I flicked a few tiny switches powering up the weapon. "Now I'm out for blood! Whomever it was that killed Eli is gonna pay; I'll use their head as a bowling ball!"

_X_

My mind went blank. My body switched to autopilot mode as I took several steps at a time up to ground level. Kevin backed away as he saw my approach. "We got him!" He proclaimed with a defined smile. "We got the boss."

"Let me at 'em!" I hissed pushing past Kevin; my path along maze like corridors wasn't planned but it was intended. Kevin, Ben, Gwen, Cooper and even Max followed suit as I trailed past blood stains on the walls and floor; char marks indicate previous hits by ricochet. Several straggling Plumbers checked rooms for Carpenters that could be hiding. Turn by Turn; foot by foot; soon we stood with dozens of Plumbers and a tall, strong, blond-haired man with his hands cuffed behind his back.

"Steel?" Max asks stepping up for a closer look. "Lieutenant Steel?"

"Tennyson; I was wondering if I'd see you again."

"What happened to you?"

"Well, after I was disgracefully dumped from the Plumbers, I went into the civilian sector where I landed a good gig as Lieutenant of Special Forces…unfortunately that only lasted as long as our last encounter. They dumped me because I had a short temper. But now, now I have power, prestige. Nobody questions me or tells me that I need to cool off, now I'M the one calling the shots! And all I had to do was take over as Carpenters Boss."

"The Plumbers let you go because of your radical ideas about bio-engineering."

"Those idiots don't understand how revolutionary the concepts are. Think about it; the perfect soldier. Bones that don't break; eyesight that is sharper than that of an eagle and never looses its accuracy; the ability to heal wounds and regenerate up to seven times faster than normal; but I guess their too advanced for you simple morons." Steel grunted smirking slightly. "It should have been the future, but they said no."

"They only because of the moral issues of having to use live test subjects."

"Science never comes without sacrifice!"

"Right…" I jumped in with my track of distant thoughts. "So what about the hundred-thousand or so lives it takes to get to the perfect soldier you're talking about! Like anybody's really going to remember every single name and face of the test subjects even ten years from now? What are a few moral dilemmas when you have the power to play god?"

"See…" Steel smiles looking at me "…kids got the right idea, I think he now realizes his contribution is helping the perfect soldier to come one step closer to reality."

I swung. Hard. Knuckles of my hand throbbed, my left hand knuckles shows traces of blood. "That!" I shouted "Is for Eli!" I swung hard again with an equally solid right hook "That one is for me!" In the fraction of a second, I whipped the plasma rifle into a death grip holding the barrel directly to his forehead; I paused, dozens of barrels pressed against my body and head. "I could very easily pull the trigger right here and now…"

"So what's stopping you?" Steel asks.

"My value for life..." I scoffed retracting the weapon. "…even though some life doesn't have value!" Without so much as any warnings, I shifted my right hand grip on the weapons body and flicked as hard as possible smacking the butt-end of the weapon against the side of Steels head. "But I'm not above cheap-shots when the opportunity presents itself." With Steel laid out on the ground muttering obscenities, shocked expressions from those around me and a faint smirk from my lips, I turned and clomped away.

I worked silently under the glow of the lights; moments passed without marked indication; I didn't bother to hold back the tears as I disconnected my mind and body from the task of putting Eli's removed bone fragments back into place. It wasn't self-righteousness, it wasn't greed, and perhaps it was the first sign of an upcoming breakdown, but I wanted him to be complete…whole…as he was when he came into this miserable screwed up life. I gently removed the metal retaining clamps and closed up his open chest before undoing the restraints and sliding a deep green sheet over the length of his body.

_I should have pulled the trigger when I had the chance. The moment was perfect, I was face to face with a murderer, he didn't have a way to defend himself, I should have…_

"Ship?" I asked seeing the small being out of the corner of my eye. "Do you…can you turn into some kind of ship, like a rocket-ship, spaceship or even a boat?"

SHIP, SHIP, it bounced up and down.

"Come on, then. I want to get out of here…the sooner the better." Ship seemed all too excited by morphing with my knee brace before I turned and headed to the elevator.

_X_

It hummed silently in flight; light glared in from a small viewing window to my right, looking out, I found Ship traveled low and fast over the city until suburbia gave way to a clearing before turning to forests. Ship dropped altitude as it came to the clearing – arguably the highest spot in the area topped with a lone gigantic tree that must have been centuries old. A rear-bay-door slid open as Ship gently contacted ground; I stepped out and looked around. This was it; this _is_ the spot. Ship de-sized back to its normal form as I spun around in one full circle. I'm in the right place. I walked to the tree, put my back against the trunk and let gravity take over; I drew my knees up to my chest and curled my arms around my knees.

I released a sound I've never made before…never heard before; it was a combination of a _yip_, a _yelp_, a grunt, a sigh and a cry. That odd sound was the start of the rivers of tears that flowed freely from my eyes. I buried my face as deep into my knees as possible. "Why couldn't it have been me?" I shouted angrily and with despair.

Day shifted to evening. Hues of reds and oranges of the setting sun glistened and glowed upon silver clouds that darkened the skies to the east. It doesn't feel like I've been here in this same position for hours, but the descending sun tells me differently. Not even a light sprinkling from overhead brings my attention; a torrential downpour flashed before I could glare up to the first series of sprinkles. A flash of green and black. I looked up to see Max looming over me, his hand outreached with a badge identical to the one Kevin used around their headquarters.

"We could use someone like you on the team." He smiles kneeling down in front of me.

"I suppose you're going to beg me to join up or something?" I scoffed rolling my eyes while turning away so he wouldn't see it.

"All I'm doing…" he puts his hand on my shoulder "…is sending out the invitation. Whether you join or not, is all up to you."

"I-I just need some time right now…" I shook my head taking a deep breath turning my glare to the setting sun painting the clouded sky in interesting pastels. "This is his favorite spot. When we were kids, we'd come up here for hours on end because we felt like we were on top of the world; he loved it here because he could see the horizon and beyond. You know what the funny thing is?" I asked receiving a shrug "All those years back, everything seemed so much bigger."

_X_

The ride was quiet; Kevin drove, Gwen sat in the front passenger seat, Ben sat to my right and two bags from a toy store sat right between feet. Kevin slowed before turning off onto a dirt path leading to the Hill. Several days have passed since the greatly proclaimed Operation Shut-Down; now the Plumbers deal with the aftermath and cleaning up all the little messes left behind. Two Carpenters bases abandoned and incinerated to prevent further prying eyes from seeing what happened. My eyes lowered to the bags on the floor of the car and hints of gray furry ears trying to poke out from both.

_X_

"I'll call 'em – Koala Kyle" Eli smiled ear to ear holding a new stuffed koala-bear before he wrapped his arms around me in the most strangling hug his small four-year-old body could produce.

"Happy birthday" I smiled returning the show of affection in my own five-year-old body.

I didn't know; couldn't have known that night would be the happiest night in over ten years. Less than one week later. They came.

_X_

"Yo! Earth to Nicholas!" Kevin snapped furiously; I blinked rapidly before glaring around to the inside of the car, Ben and Gwen already walking to the tree while Kevin leans into the car waiting for me to move about.

I grabbed one of the two bags and climbed out following the cousins to Cooper, Julie and Max, several masked Plumbers work at the back of a small transit van; to the left of the tree, a deep carved pit with a mound of earth directly beside; in the dirt pile, several shoves poked out. Everyone turns and watches as one masked Plumber reaches into the back of the van and retrieves an oblong deep green covered mass, this was it, now or never. I reached into the bag and pulled out a stuffed koala; the masked Plumber disappeared into the hole then re-appeared without the mass in his arms. Sure he or she was out of the way, I walked over, looked then leapt in. I slid the flap of the green sheet over far enough to expose Eli's face and right arm; I shut my eyes and drew a deep breath. I feel a dozen pairs of eyes glaring; a streak of tears trickled down my cheek as I gingerly slid the stuffed toy under his arm.

"I'm sorry I failed on my promise…." My breathing grew erratic. "I should have been there to save you. I-I just don't want you to be alone forever…" with my voice breaking I slid the green flap over. It's happening again; rivers of tears flow from my eyes as I climbed out of the pit and picked up the nearest shovel.

SCHEENK. The shovel blade drives into the dirt.  
SCHEENK. I have to hold it together to get this done. But I don't know if I can.  
SCHEENK. Ben, Kevin, Cooper and Max join.  
SCHEENK. Pound by pound, dirt slowly fills the pit.

_X_

I tightened my grip on the stuffed koala toy - the twin of the one that can comfort Eli until the end of days. I wait anxiously as I hear approaching steps from the other side of a drawn separating curtain in the medical office of the Plumbers headquarters. I looked over to Ben and Gwen as they sit across the space from me on a cold exam table. I'm wearing nothing except a pair of shorts…it's a different feeling from wearing thick denim all the time.

"How long does it take to run a few tests!" I scowled catching glimpses of band-aids and rounds of gauze over various spots of my arms, hands and legs.

The curtain slid back; Max and a fellow man his size and age wearing a white lab-coat entered. They glared to me, then to a stack of paperwork in the doctor's hands. They remained quiet as the doctor uncapped a light blue pen and slowly came towards me.

"Here…" the doctor spoke marking my bare chest – under the ribcage on the right side - with the pen, the tip of the writing tool tickling slightly with it's movement "…here…" he marks a spot lower on my left flank towards the back "…and…here" he finishes with one last streaking mark on the right side above the hem of my shorts.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Nicholas…" Max spoke softly staring into my eyes "…a couple of things came up on your tests. I'm not going to fluff up what I'm going to say next, and I'm also going to tell you everything. The X-rays showed several interesting items; first, every single bone in your hands, arms and neck and back have been grafted with several different metal alloys. Now, um…I don't know how to say this, but there are several cartridges implanted around your chest, hence the marks. We have to surgically go in and remove them. Right now, as it stands, we really have no way of telling what the cartridges are used for…not until we remove them"

"What!" I shouted leaping off the exam table "I was fine with a simple checkup. I was somewhat okay with the X-rays and all that fancy imaging stuff. Now you're talking surgery? What the hell! I didn't think I'd still get filleted like a fish even after the Carpenters were shut down!"

"Nicholas, calm down"

"Calm down? _CALM DOWN_! How the hell do you propose I do that! You just came in and told me that you've got to slice me open to remove three separate cartridges of unknown origins and contents! I don't think so, not for a long time…" I turned to leave only to have Ben standing between me and the door with his hands reached out. There was a moment of hesitation when his toxic green eyes glared into my coffee colored eyes; it was as though he knew what he wanted to say but couldn't find the right words to say it with. A low flick of my brow; Ben backed off lowering his hands into his pockets. The moment I felt a hand on my shoulder my deep stare upon Ben broke free; I turned back, Gwen smiled ever so slightly.

"Nic'…" she was nearly whispering "…it's dangerous. Nobody knows what's in those cartridges; could be nothing but hot air, but it could be something dangerous, like explosives, or a viral agent. They could be solidly sealed, or they could be leaking, or they could be on a timer. Now, let me ask you, do you want to do this willingly, or do you want to get dragged in kicking and screaming?"

"I fucking ain't going the in there at all!" I shouted with a burst of anger, in my short fuse show of rage I hurled the stuffed toy from my hands across the room, it squeaked innocently the moment it slammed against the wall. Stunned silence. Unable to continue any more, I grabbed by shoes, slid them on and stomped out of the room.

I listened to the restroom door squeaking shut. I lumbered to the skink, turned on the cold water tap and slid my cupped hands under the water before splashing the cooling hydrating liquid against my face. With nothing more than a deep sigh, I let my glare fall upon the reflection in the mirror; for a few brief moments I didn't even recognize that it was my own reflection looking back at me. Loosing my track of thoughts about my image in the glass piece, I failed to hear the door squeaking open then closed. Even when the person moved in behind me I still didn't care to notice. Not even when the person put something on the countertop did I take notice.

SQUEAK. SQUEAK. This lone sound was all it to make me snap back to reality.

"I used to have something like this when I was a kid, called 'em Furry Freddy. I never slept or went anywhere without it." Ben smiled with a hesitant chuckle as I slowly turned my head to see him at my side with his hand working the stuffed toy in happy memories. "But when I found this…" he trailed off pulling up his left sleeve to expose his watch "…when I found the Omnitrix, I felt grown up, so I started leaving Furry Freddy behind in a small shoebox tucked safely away under my bed. Sometimes, I still go under my bed, pull out that box, open it up and remember how it felt to have to it in my hands" he slides the stuffed koala closer to my hands.

"Nice story, but what does it have to do with this?" My voice lowered while I turned my glare away.

"The point is, even though we all have to grow up, it's nice to be able to hold something familiar."

"I guess now you're going to try and smooth-talk me into going through with this?"

"I'm prepared to drop on my knees and beg like there's no tomorrow, hell, Grandpa Max is already thinking of somehow bribing you to do it with whatever it is you want the most, even Gwen might just give you a quick shot of affection…as long as Kevin doesn't find out about it."

"You all think it's for the best?" I asked meeting him eye to eye with a saddened yet hopeful glare.

"No…" he spoke before showing a smirk "…we _know_ it's for the best."

There were a few moments of silence between us. "Chili-fries."

"What?" Ben asked.

"Chili-fries. A big heaping plate of 'em; oh, and some nachos but without the peppers, and it's gotta have that liquid cheese that comes from a can…not the real stuff. I need to put on a few pounds post-op and I'm sure as hell not going to do it on shitty hospital food." Even though it was merely a half witted attempt at humor, Ben laughed hysterically nearly toppling to the floor.

"So you're going to do it?" he asks smiling.

"I really don't want to…" I took a deep breath "…but if it's for the best…"


	6. Honesty

**DISCLAIMER: **see chapter 1.

WARNING: Yet another F-bomb alert – at the end of this chapt.

Plumbers versus Carpenters

CHAPTER 6

My mind and heart raced; on my back on a metal table with only a pillow for comfort, I glared around to the cold bright room. Several people in thick plastic suits with tinted visors moved around performing several tasks; to the side of the work table upon which I lay, a side wheeled cart with various metal instruments glistening in an odd metallic glow. I jumped slightly as one of the suited individuals gently yet firmly applied a few sticky probe leads around various spots of my chest. With the action completed, the person ever so delicately glides their hand along the side of my head then a once over through my hair. A set of overhead lights flashed on forcing me to tightly shut my eyes and turn away. A steady slow beeping echoed from a machine past my field of vision; I watched curiously yet alarmed when the same person covered my mouth and nose with a clear plastic breathing mask.

"In and out; slow deep breaths; just let the gas do its job, and soon you'll be fast – fast – fast asleep."

The grogginess slowly set in. It was closer to naturally falling asleep instead of getting knocked out.

_X_

I slowly opened my eyes and brought my head high enough off the pillows to look around; this was vastly different than any other time it happened. Everything was curious. The bed was soft and comforting; a thick warm blanket covered everything from my waist down; several IV lines were tapped into the back of my hand. Looking down, I found three oblong adhesive patches covering the incisions upon my chest and stomach, the sight made me roll my eyes; it was then that I noticed the walls were a clear Plexiglas double layer construction; the only entrance was marked with a separate station with several bright yellow suits hanging on a lone rack. On a small table next to the bed, several cards stood open.

'Get well soon' one proclaimed. 'Can't wait your return' another read. Each card held a different wording, but had the same sentiment. Behind the cards was a small clock with dim red digits reading 1642 HR; next to the clock was a small microphone and earpiece combination. Seeing that there was nothing to worry about, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep once again.

_X_

A gentle tapping. A rumble of a door sliding open then closed. A 'swick-swick' of rustling fabric drew closer and closer. I opened my eyes and glared around; two people wearing the bright yellow suits from the staging room enter, one sits on the side of the bed while the other sets a small tray of various items on my other side. The one that set the tray down wrapped a line of elastic around the spot between my elbow and bicep preparing to draw a few samples of blood. The other, whom – I could see through the clear visor – was Max with a defined smile. I winced with every poke of the syringes slipping into my skin; I looked to Max.

"What's up with this place? I thought I'd be in a normal room with a door and the ability to come and go as I wished" I laughed nervously of what he might or might not say next.

"Nicholas…" Max's voice sounded odd coming from behind the plastic barrier. "…I have some good news, some bad news, and something I don't think you really want to hear. Good news is that the cartridges were removed and we identified what was in them. However, here's the bad part, the last cartridge they removed was faulty and slowly leaking Hexlonvec"

"What is that?"

"It's a viral agent; synthesized by humans and tweaked to be the top of the top of the viral agents. It's highly contagious…highly lethal. You ever heard of the Black Death?"

"I think so."

"That's a tea party in comparison…"

"WAIT! Hold on! What?" I shouting sitting up only to nurse the tender wounds. "You're telling me that I'm infected with some death virus and now it's only a matter of time?"

"Yes and no. You are infected, yet you don't show any signs, so we've got everyone possible working on your test results to see if that's the case. There is a chance everything goes down the wrong path, but there's also a chance that you could come out of this without a scratch."

"So now it's just a waiting game; life or death. How long does it look like I'll be stuck here?"

"A month." Hearing this, I slammed hard against the bedding. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Seconds turned to minutes; minutes slowed to hours. The attending tech finished and slowly exited; I watched as the person stepped into the staging area and disappeared into a thick cloud of misty fog.

"That offer still stands? About joining the Plumbers?" I asked curiously; after a few short moments Max reached into his pocket and retrieved the small green and black badge.

"You do understand that it's not like going to summer camp, right? There's plenty of hard work, lots of challenges and too much to memorize. We don't let just anyone into the ranks; you'll have to prove yourself worthy of the badge."

"Where do we begin? Obviously I've got plenty of time on my hands and nothing to do."

"How about resting up first." With this Max stood and exited into the same cloud of misty fog.

_X_

Eli rested his head on my lap and stared up to the vibrant blue sky as I leaned back against the tree at the top of the hill. "Do you think they went to heaven?" he asked innocently. I couldn't think of an answer for this; part of me wanted to tell him a thousand times yes, but another part of me didn't believe in such constructs of the afterlife.

"Wherever they are, I'm sure they're happy" I smiled meeting him eye to eye.

Though it had only been a few days since our parents were involved in a tragic car accident leaving us orphaned, it's felt like a lifetime. I can't believe it's been teen years now, I have trouble realizing I'm now fifteen instead if five when everything happened. Mom and Dads departure from life, Eli's last happy fourth birthday party; that night, when Eli and myself walked home from the hill when the deep blue windowless van approached.

Before we could react Rob and Bob were on top of us with syringes filled with toxic orange gel.

_X_

TAP TAP. I looked. On my left, on the opposite side of the composite wall, Ben, Gwen and Kevin stood. I climbed out of the bed, reached over to the small electronic earpiece and slid it into my ear and walked until I stood within two feet of the Plexiglas wall.

"How you feeling?" Gwen pondered verbally; I gave a single nod.

"Okay, I guess, other than the whole waiting to see if I die thing…"

"Just hang in there. Max said that the early tests indicate there's nothing abnormal." Ben put his hand on the clear wall encouraging me to do the same.

"So, that's a good thing, right? That means I'm that much closer to getting out of this trap, right?" I stammered, my tongue tripping over itself from the excitement.

"Hold on." Kevin grumbled. "That don't mean squat. It just says that at the moment, we're all safe."

"You've got to get me out of here!" I shouted banging my hands on the Plexiglas wall "I'm going stir-crazy, the walls are closing in on me, the ceiling is coming down inch by inch! I'm loosing what's left of my sanity, for the love of all foods that are delicious; get me the hell out of here!"

"Nicholas, cool it" Gwen shouted to be heard over the racket.

"I can't cool it! I can't take it anymore. Not the slicing and dicing, not the isolation, not the wondering if this minute is going to be my last minute not…not-not the…" At that exact moment a faint pop echoed followed by the feeing of a small needle projectile; reaching to my rear-end I pulled up between my thumb and forefinger a small dart with a blue tuft of fluff. "Son of a bitc…" I trailed off as my body toppled to the floor.

_X_

"Kevin. What were you thinking?" I heard Gwen demanding an answer from Kevin; even though I kept my eyes closed and dared not to move, I could tell Kevin was in the same room as I.

"Way to go Levin…" Ben snapped furiously "…excellent job on breaking quarantine procedures and exposing yourself!"

"Hey! It was for several valid reasons. One; he needed to calm down. I did that. Two; he obviously needed company, someone to keep him grounded in reality, Kevin to the rescue. Three; we needed a live test subject, again, I filled in. IF nothing happens to me then we know he's clear of the Hexlonvec virus." Silence followed Kevin's final thoughts.

"You know what? Fine. Stay with him; just make sure he eats!" Ben sounded rather annoyed before he stomped away – his shoes clattering with every step. For a few moments Kevin rustled around. His movements halted as he settled down allowing further silence and stillness to emanate.

I let my mind roam freely as I kept up the charade of slumber. The one thought that my mind returned to was the fact that Kevin was now isolated with me. I don't think he likes me that much to do something so outrageously stupid so it has to be something else. But what? Nothing logical came to mind, only more questions without answers. I hesitantly opened my eye very slightly – just far enough to have a rough idea of what's happening around me but without making it obvious. On the floor, leaning against the wall, Kevin blankly stared at the far wall; in his hand, a Plumbers badge. His gaze turned to the device as he let a deep sigh.

"I suppose you're wondering why I'm in here too" Kevin grinned turning ever so slightly.

"H-how did you know...?" I sat up and looked him square in the eyes.

"You breathe differently when you're out cold than you do when you're awake" he chuckled standing up and approaching.

"Why…" I had to pause and gather my thoughts before continuing "…why did you risk you life like this? You know I'm in here for a reason."

Kevin pulled up a small metal chair, spun it around backwards and sat down crossing his arms over the back of the chair. He then reached over to a large covered plastic tub, slid it between us and removed the top to reveal ever so tasty nachos.

"We're in the same boat. My folks kicked me out when I was ten, since then I've basically been on the streets, until a couple of years back. You've practically lost your entire family. I've got a place to hang out and my car is the only thing I have. You're basically have nowhere to go and nothing to claim. Birds of a feather have to fly together." With this he reached into the tub and pulled out a few chips with the rich cheese sauce smothering them. I reached into the tub and withdrew a handful.

"So basically you're in here because…" I pointed a chip at him "…because the two of us are more alike than we are against Ben and Gwen? And you're pretty much taking me under your wing? Whoa…hold on! How did you know about my folks!"

"Fsoome refearfsch" Kevin didn't bother to swallow his chewing's before speaking, granted it's gross, but it's also a guy thing to do. "I ran a quick check using the name Nicholas Vaughn"

"What exactly is going on between us?" I grabbed another handful.

"How do you mean?"

"When we first me, we were hesitant around the other. Then we were practically at each others throats. After that you're watching out for me. And now, you're taking me under your wing? I sure hope you're not loosing your thug way of life…" hearing what I had to say, Kevin burst out in laughter.

"Remember about a week or so back?" he asks reaching into the tub once again "When I said you were ballsy, stupid but ballsy?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, it's true. You may not look like much, but I've never seen anyone stand their ground against me like you did. We may not be the best of friends, but you've got my respect; it's funny though, a couple of times when we went at it, you had that determination in your eyes and I was giving hard thoughts to holding back so I wouldn't hurt you…but now I see you can take a lot and still keep going."

"Is that your way of saying you _like_ me?" I asked scratching my head from the confusion.

"As an acquaintance; as a casual friend; as a member of the team."

Time marched on. We continued eating and chatting about different topics. Even when the tub of nachos ran empty, we still talked, even if it was nothing more than to shoot the breeze. I believe we learned a great deal from each other, and possibly found common ground between us. If it wasn't for this amount of time, I would have never seen that there's more to Kevin than him just being a gear-head fight-monger; even though it took some coaxing and convincing, we opened up to the other – at least as far as we felt comfortable taking it.

"What the hell?" I asked as I noticed two men approaching the entrance of the clean area; Kevin turned and looked back, he had only one comment – _'oh shit'_.

"What are Rob and Bob doing here?" I asked standing up as Kevin did the same.

"Better question is…" he paused using his special power to morph a metal covering over his body "…how did they get past security? When I tell you to run, you best get the hell out of here!"

"Run? But, the quarantine, the isolation…"

"Butts are for sitting kicking and kissing!" he barked using my own favorite expression against me.

The door slid open; Rob and Bob entered and stood between us and our only escape. Kevin crossed his arms defiantly as they approached.

"I suppose we ought to tell you." Rob started off grinning slightly.

"There is no need for you two to be in isolation. No doubt your implants have been removed by now." Bob continued while shifting his glare to me.

"That's the funny thing about Hexlonvec…" Rob picked up from where Bob left off "…top of the line virus; virtually unstoppable, yet, it does have one flaw…"

"It doesn't survive in a host with heavy concentrations of metal."

"What are you saying?" Kevin demanded un-crossing his arms preparing for battle.

"The more metal in our bodies…" it suddenly dawned on me even as I spoke "…the quicker the virus dies out."

"Good, you understand…" before Bob could say anything else, Kevin swung hard – his entire body falling to the ground; with a look back to me, Kevin stood and swung again. I have to blink several times before it registers what I'm seeing.

"They're fucking holograms!" I shouted forcing Kevin to take several more swings, the only affect this had was the visual replicas of Rob and Bob to flicker and de-pixilate with every interruption before fading altogether.


	7. Final fallout

**DISCLAIMER: **see chapter 1.

Plumbers versus Carpenters

CHAPTER 7

"I am gonna eat so much I'll explode!" I exclaimed sitting at a picnic style table with Ben to my right, Kevin across from me and Gwen across from Ben. Held in my tightly fisted hands were a plastic fork and knife hovering above a paper plate filled to capacity with various types of every food imaginable. It hasn't been even one full day since Kevin and myself were released from isolation but with the new found freedom I felt the need to live it up like there was no tomorrow.

"I'll pay to see that…" Kevin grinned "…I bet it'll look like what happened when Goop blew up that Psychobot – green slime everywhere."

"If that's all you've got Kevin, it ain't enough, because I still have my apatite" I chuckled before shoveling the food into my mouth with undue speed and sloppiness.

"Whoa, slow it down dude, you're going to make yourself sick" Ben grimaced flicking away tidbits of foodstuffs that flew anywhere near him.

The overhead lights flickered on and off before fading to darkness; the interior of the cafeteria of the Plumbers base grew silent, a few short seconds later, a glow of pale blue lights turned on giving everything an eerie tint. Without warning the foundation rumbled and shook violently. Several ceiling panels crashed to the floor as dozens of Plumbers scattered for the door; Kevin, Ben, Gwen and I shared a common glare of question and uncertainty. We stood and trotted to the main doors, before we knew what happened an explosion thundered and illuminated the cave like space with a blinding flash, everyone within the radius of the shockwave flew backwards several feet before slamming hard to the floor.

My ears rang; my eyes hurt; my body screamed from the concussion it received. "Ben, Kevin" I heard Gwen's frantic screaming not as I normally would have, it sounded distant, almost mute in volume – almost silent over the ringing even though she was only a foot away. 'WHAT WAS THAT' I saw Kevin mouthing while sitting up after I raised my head off the tile – every movement sending new waves of pain through my body. The more the ringing faded, the more I heard; people shouted orders and vocalizations of pain, sirens blaring, and debris clattering against the floor.

"He escaped!" Someone shouted from the far end of the hallway as I stood and shuffled with a stumble only to prop myself against the former doorframe. It was then that I saw it…saw him darting across the hallway into a room. If even for a split second, I could have sworn I saw Steel - former head of the Carpenters - appearing and disappearing as fast as he could manage.

"Get up Tennyson!" I heard Kevin grunting.

"I-I can't" Ben snapped in response, shaking off the thoughts of Steel escaping, I turned back to find Ben on his back – both hands nursing his right leg, an odd deep colored stain slowly enveloping the denim of his jeans halfway between his ankle and knee. "Oh man, I think…it' broken…" he cried aloud as Gwen kneeled next to him.

"Let's get you to the infirmary" Gwen nodded to Kevin, with their combined energy they helped up Ben and started an odd shuffle out of the cafeteria.

_X_

Gwen couldn't hide the worry about her cousin; Kevin seemed worried but not a much as Gwen, though. Even as she tended to a few small cuts to the side of my head she still failed to downplay just how much she worried. There wasn't one sign that tipped me off, there was a whole slew of indicators; the distant look in her eyes, a nearly silent sigh every few seconds, most obviously it was how her normally gentle touch turned aggressive with every stroke of gauze to the wounds.

"I'm sure Ben's going to…OW!" I winced and drew a sharp breath after Gwen seemed to force the bundle of medical fabric harder than ever "Gwen! Ease up already. It's just a broken leg, nothing too life threatening" at this her touch eased until she gave an apologetic stare.

The three of us retained a quiet state, our glared fell upon different directions. Movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention, looking to the side then back to Kevin and Gwen, I did a double take. I suddenly leapt off the small chair and dashed to the door, poking my head into the hallway, I found – standing at the far end – Eli in an odd glowing form waving me, beckoning me to come. "Nicholas?" Gwen asked mere seconds before I took off in a full gallop as fast as my battered body could manage "Nic' where are you going!" I can hear her following "Kevin, you stay there with Ben!" again she calls out.

Even though the lighting was simply a pale blue, I cold see the details of everything I passed in the halls; Gwen stayed at my side as I rounded corner after corner – every turn offering nothing but another glimpse of Eli darting around yet another corner. Dim halls soon gave way to dimmer flights of metal grated steps leading down into the dark underbelly of the complex. The temperature grew hotter as Gwen and I charged past rows and rows of giant metal pipes then beyond a handful of massive metal boilers.

"Where are you going?" Gwen asked ducking low hanging overhead pipes.

"I-I don't know…" my tone roughened but ceased as movement caught our attention, shifting my focus I caught glimpses of moving shadows dancing around further along the path. "Steel!" I shouted taking off.

The chase ensued; corridor after corridor; turn after turn; foot after foot; I could neither catch up to nor fall back from Steel as Gwen did the same – for the most part, it was an evenly paced relay. Steel came to an abrupt halt at the end of a metal grate platform overlooking an unexplainably large open incinerator, his focus turned to the heat below him then to us fast approaching; the distance closed, I drew close enough that I could practically smell his fear. I cocked my left arm back ready to throw a punch but Steel must have seen it coming for he ducked and threw one of his own – his fisted hand smacking hard against the side of my face with enough force send me stumbling off to the side. Everything I saw had a black blob that grew then shrank with every heartbeat. From my spot on the ground I saw Gwen leaping in and going hand to hand with him, watching them fighting, I have to admit, even without using her manna she's pretty good…and hot…very hot fighting like that, for a few seconds I realized it wasn't just the side of my face and head throbbing.

"Be-gone, tomboy!" Steel grunted slinging her off as he did with me.

"I am not a tomboy!" Gwen shouted lunging for a surprise attack which Steel quickly defended.

"Okay, then, Princess…"

"That one was a big mistake" she chuckled swooping low only to have Steel counter by sweeping her legs out from under her, Gwen grunted slamming into the metal grating as Steel knelt down dropping his knee into her sternum, at that moment, she unleashed a dramatic howl the likes of which I've never heard before.

I cannot fully describe what happened next. Something deep, deep inside took over; my hands tightened into fists and I stood slowly, my glare narrowed and focused until Steel was the only thing I can clearly see. I charged; fast. Steel looked up just in time to see me coming right for him. Punch after punch with the occasional kick to throw of the predictability; Steel and I remained in constant conflict with flying fists and shoes, we evened each others level so there was no defined clear-cut winner. Before I knew it Steel flung me away until my back _snapped_ against a row of metal pipes lining the walls. Seeing what happened, Gwen stood and drew her pink force, this time, her gloves were off and she fought as a wild animal escaping its cage. Round followed round of pink energy was shot from Gwen standing behind her shield, every shot landing square on Steels chest yet causing no effect; in one swift motion Steel brings a fisted hand down shattering her barrier into fragments that flickered and faded away.

"You pesky little vermin, you are like a cockroach that never dies!" his tone lowers while his fisted hands raise, his glare turns to me "And you. Such an ungrateful little shit; I gave you the ability to fight, and you turn against me? In a weak and poor fighting style I might add…I should have tried using your brother as a fighter, might have had much better results."

My glare narrowed; my blood boiled and ran ice cold at the same time, I ground my teeth and drew deep sharp breaths as my hands curled into white-knuckled fists. I never moved as fast as I did just then, I never experienced such a sudden change in reality as I had in that split second when I pounced with full force catching Steel off guard. Two bodies merged as one; everything was perfect, the trajectory, the angles, the momentum; both of us stumbled off the edge of the metal platform. Instinct took over as I thrust my hands to grab onto whatever part of the ledge I could, Steels screaming echoed for what seemed an eternity before fading to oblivion. Suddenly my hand slipped away leaving only the other hand to grip with.

"Gwen!" I shouted feeling the sweat from my fingers creating that much more of a dire situation. Tips of a pair of boots sat at both sides of my hand, looking down to the fiery machine then up I gasped – my eyes grew as large as saucers just as my hand slipped free from the platform.

For the first time in a long, long ever so long time, I felt a distinct sense of peace overcoming me; I closed my eyes, cleared my mind, and waited. I was ready for it. I was prepared for the chain of events that would reunite me with my family once again. I can already see Eli and my parents waiting for me at the hill to have another family picnic like we used to, there is a white and red-checkered blanket, a wicker basket overflowing with goodies and Eli waving me over. There are chirping birds, a bright blue sky that goes on forever, and a very spectacular view; shade from the tree keeps us cool as I slowly approached…

"Got-cha!" My body lurched to a sudden stop; I looked down to find I was no longer falling, but rather being pulled up by the tight grip around my wrist and forearm. I drew short rapid breaths as my entire body shook even while being hauled up and over the ledge back onto the safety of the platform, I scuttled back away from the edge. It was then that I noticed just whom it was that yanked me up and over; Bob kneeled down at Gwen's side helping her to stand up as Rob leaned in until our faces remained mere inches apart. The last thing I consciously remember was that of my eyes rolling up towards the top of my head with my body going limp.

_X_

"Wake-y - wake-y you lucky-assed hero." I heard the voice and wanted to listen.

"Time to wake up…" it spoke with more of an emphasized tone, but all I want to do is stay in this peaceful state.

"I said get your ass up already, numb-nuts!" I jumped and opened my eyes; to my side, Kevin stood looking down at me with his trademark grin.

"Gwen!" I shouted leaping out of the tiny bed "They must have taken her!"

"Whoa, calm down, she's…"

"Gwen!" I shouted working my way past him, before I can reach the door; it opens exposing Gwen and all of her glory – albeit covered in scrapes and bruises.

"I'm okay" she smiles keeping one hand latched onto her opposite arm "what about you though?"

"No you're not okay, you shouldn't be okay, I saw it…he dropped his knee square on your chest…"

"All right, fine…" she begins with a quick smiling glare to Kevin "…it hurts like hell but I'll make it through." With this, Kevin puckers up, lowers his stance, and slowly approaches her.

"How 'bout big daddy Kevin kisses it and makes it all better…" Kevin spoke in an unusually goofy tone as he brought his face far too close to Gwen's shirt where she kept her arm poised; his actions quickly warranted her to give him a not so gentle smack to his chest causing him to back away.

"Ass…" she smirked with a hint of gleam in her eyes and a very faint trace of a smile.

"Are you offering?" Kevin counters backing away from another attack. The more I watch, the more obvious it is that they really do have a love-hate relationship.

"What about Rob and Bob?" I asked forcing them to continue later. "How is it that they could…" before I could go any further, Kevin reaches his hand out in the _halt_ position.

"They're on our payroll; SL staff, basically they're like the Seals, top secret work, you know? They are Plumbers hired as Carpenter bounty hunters for anybody whom escapes. Why do you think you still had that knife when you came to in your cage? They knew it was there along with the tracking device and Ship in disguise; I guess they just _accidentally_ looked the other way."

"So, even the lab-rat return was…supervised by Plumbers?"

"Yup" was all Kevin said to my question. "Fifteen years of back breaking work, following phantoms that lead to dead-ends and missing more than hitting targets, all finished by Steel going down into the incinerator. The Bellwood Carpenters have been eliminated…by you" his hand reaches out and lands on my shoulder before he moves it to rough up my hair.

After a few short moments, Kevin lumbered out of the room, his excuse, "I'm going to go check on Ben to make sure he's not getting into too much trouble." Sure that he was gone, Gwen slowly approached and brought her face close until we could feel each others breath; she surprised me by brushing her lips against my cheek.

"What was that for?" I asked feeling the blush flashing over my face all the way up to the tops of my ears.

"Whatever you want it to be…for going through surgery again, for taking away Steel's attacks, for stopping the Carpenters here in town…" with this, she turned and started to leave; before she could reach the door, I raised my hand.

"Gwen, wait…" she turned back with a smile and a hint of curiosity in her eyes "…if you get tired of that muscle bound meat-head, come find me."

It started with a harmless chuckle, her amusement turned audible with defined laughter; the laughter turned into fit of hysterics as she nearly collapsed onto the floor from laughing that hard. "I…I-I'm sorry…" she tried to speak between catching her breaths and laughing "…you're a sweet…lovable…guy…but…" now she can't even formulate a complete sentence without drawing deep howling breaths "…but I don't go out with shrimps!"

There was one split second, when I could have sworn she reached out her hand and plunged it into my chest completely ripping my heart out without mercy; it had to have been the saddened and insulted look that tipped her off, because she stopped laughing and put her hand on my shoulders.

"You're cute, you really are, and your spontaneity is cool, but you're just not my type. See, we are like water and electricity…a good combination under the right circumstances, but just not meant for each other" with her talking I glared off to the side then down to the ground "But just because we can't get together, doesn't mean that there isn't someone out there for you. Besides, it is somewhat adorable that you are crushing on someone that is way out of your league. You know, I don't mind if you have your harmless little fantasies about us, just as long as they stay that – FANTASIES."

* * *

NOTE: Damn…crash and burn – shame on Nicholas for trying to hook up with Gwen. Yeah, I do not know how the whole Gwen – Kevin thing worked out, but it sounds like a Kevin thing to say and do.


	8. One year later

NOTE: I think I went as far as possible with the end of chapt 7, which is where I had and idea to do chapt 8 as an epilogue/one year later chapt which I think didn't quite go as planned, but here it is.

**DISCLAIMER:** see chapter one.

"PLUMBERS VERSUS CARPENTERS"

Chapter 8 – epilogue

It has been one year to the date. 365 days to the year when I escaped the Carpenters and found the alien fighting teen heroes.

I listened to the purr of a 900 V-twin motorcycle engine as I cruised along empty roads around the outskirts of Bellwood; keeping even at my left flank, Jasmine Crade – aka Jade – glanced over and smiled, her long black hair and loose black clothing fluttered in the air currents as we picked up speed until we rode nearly full throttle.

"So how long will you be with these people doing god knows what?" she had to shout over the rumble of the twin engines.

"Don't know how long, could be a day, could be a month, could take a lifetime" I shouted in response, there was no hiding the annoyance in my tone I glanced over to see her frost blue eyes glittering in the sunlight.

"Well you just make sure you come home after it's all said and done!" Jade barked giving a hint of a smile. One year back I tried and failed rather miserably to get in good with Gwen but she shot me down in a nice way; she was right about one thing though, there _was_ someone out there for me, and her name is Jade.

"You ain't getting rid of me that easy!" I barked back showing a devious glare; I'm sure she knew that she was the reason why I did everything possible to come home after every mission. We slowed as Jade and myself turned off the main road onto a dirt path leading to the hill where a green Camaro and four familiar faces await our arrival. Jade and I turned off our cycles engines and dismounted the machines; Ben and Julie stood side by side – both smiling and looking like they wanted to show some affection, Gwen draped her arm over Kevin's back as they sat under the tree before making out not caring whom was around. The more I thought about it, the more I realized we all had something in common...besides being teens...that something, was that we were all in a relationship; I had Jade, Ben had Julie and Kevin had Gwen.

"You've been having any nightmares recently?" Ben asked as me and Jade sat to Kevin's left; I smiled confidently and shook my head.

"Nope. I guess sending Steel into the incinerator gave me a sense of closure, that the haunting evil is finally over."

"Word has if that you..." Kevin pointed to me with a lazy finger "...are going back in to shut down another Carpenters outpost?" This time I nodded.

"And you're sure you're going to come home?" Again Jade was pushing the topic while twisting my hand in a direction it shouldn't bend, the only thing I could do was wince and draw a deep breath.

"I'd be crazy not to!"

"Good..." she gave a sick and twisted grin letting go of my hand. Following a few moments of silence, Kevin coughed a few times and threw "Boy-toy" into the mix; my glare upon him narrowed as Gwen rolled her eyes and Ben buried his face into the palms of his hands.

"Kevin! Be nice" Gwen demanded slapping him rather harshly across his chest.

"Yes dear..." the raven black haired teen sarcastically replied rolling his eyes before turning his focus to me "...when you get back in town, look us up and we'll all go out for smoothies...that is, if Jade's okay with it..." he trailed off doing everything possible to hide his smile.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I demanded popping my knuckles.

"Obviously, in your relationship, she's the one wearing the pants." Kevin belted out laughter in a way I'd never heard before; Ben dialed the Omnitrix to Big Chill and took off with Julie in its talons. Kevin and Gwen stood to walk back to his car – the whole way, Gwen lectured him about saying such things, her tone faded as they climbed into the car and slammed the doors.

"Damn right, so don't you forget it!" I shouted back to the car driving away; if I'd thought about it a few seconds longer, I would have realized that it sounded much better in my head than in real life.

"Don't let him get to you..." Jade slipped me under her arms until we stood face to face "...at least _we_ know who's in charge. He has no clue that Gwen's holding all the power-cards." With this, she leaned in until our lips brushed together. "You coming with?"

"Nah..." I shook my head slightly "...I'll hang around here for a little bit longer before taking a long ride"

"Well just be sure to get your butt home tonight, I want one more go at it..." Knowing what she meant, I grinned as a flash of finely defined warmth danced over my face, she must have seen the blush for she giggled slightly.

I watched as she mounted her cycle and took off to the city. Silent stillness enveloped me; I watched from my perch on the cycle as the sun faded away past the horizon – light blue skies gave way to darker skies dotted with trillions of stars. Hours slipped by as though they were mere seconds. I turned on the engine, released the brake, hit the clutch and throttle at the same time and took off forcing the bike into an almost ninety-degree wheelie.

* * *

NOTE: Jade is a leftover OC from a previous work...to prevent confusion.

Well, it's been a wild little shindig but papa's gotta run, so until next time readers, this is Phantom Rottweiler saying "Sanity is only a state of mind...a state of mind that I prefer not to accept."


End file.
